Multiple peer-to-peer relay networks

• US 8,010,633 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mai, Anthony, Van Datta, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin; Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Chau D
• Application Number:
  US10/701,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,857 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for implementing peer-to-peer relay. In one implementation, a network environment supporting multiple peer-to-peer relay networks includes: a first peer-to-peer relay network including N1 peer systems; and a second peer-to-peer relay network including N2 peer systems; wherein each peer system in said first peer-to-peer relay network is connected to a number of other peer systems in said first peer-to-peer relay network that is less than or equal to a first connection limit, said first connection limit is greater than or equal to 2, said first connection limit is less than or equal to N1-2, each peer system in said first peer-to-peer relay network is configured to relay data to peer systems connected to that peer system according to a first set of one or more relay rules, each peer system in said second peer-to-peer relay network is connected to a number of other peer systems in said second peer-to-peer relay network that is less than or equal to a second connection limit, said second connection limit is greater than or equal to 2, said second connection limit is less than or equal to N2-2, each peer system in said second peer-to-peer relay network is configured to relay data to peer systems connected to that peer system according to a second set of one or more relay rules, and at least one peer system in said first peer-to-peer relay network is also in said second peer-to-peer relay network.

Claims

1. A network environment supporting multiple peer-to-peer relay networks, comprising:

a main peer-to-peer relay network including all peer systems in the multiple peer-to-peer relay networks, at least one of the peer systems including at least one processor, the main peer-to-peer network having sub-networks within the main peer-to-peer relay network, wherein each peer system of a sub-network is also a member of the main peer-to-peer relay network;

a first peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of first peer systems that are a first sub-network of the main peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of said first peer systems including at least one processor, and including a first particular peer system and a second particular peer system;

a second peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of second peer systems that are a second sub-network of the main peer-to-peer network, at least one of said second peer systems including at least one processor, and including the first particular peer system and the second particular peer system; and

wherein the first particular peer system has a connection to the second particular peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network and the first particular peer system does not have a connection to the second particular peer in the second peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network is relayed only to peers in the first peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to a peer in the main peer-to-peer relay network before the first sub-network is established is relayed to all peers in the main peer-to-peer relay network.

2. The network environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a server connected to each peer system.

3. The network environment of claim 1, wherein:

the peer systems in said first peer-to-peer relay network represent players in an online game.

4. The network environment of claim 3, wherein:

the peer systems in said first peer-to-peer relay network represent players in said online game that are on the same team.

5. The network environment of claim 1, wherein:

data relayed in said first peer-to-peer relay network is network service data.

6. The network environment of claim 1, wherein:

data relayed in said first peer-to-peer relay network is data for an online environment.

7. The network environment of claim 6, wherein:

data relayed in said first peer-to-peer relay network is data for a lobby environment.

8. The network environment of claim 7, wherein:

data relayed in said first peer-to-peer relay network is data for a chat room in said lobby environment.

9. The network environment of claim 6, wherein:

data relayed in said second peer-to-peer relay network is data for an online game.

10. The network environment of claim 1, wherein:

at least one peer system is a network-enabled game console.

11. The network environment of claim 1, wherein:

at least two peer systems are connected through the Internet.

12. A method of relaying data in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

establishing a main peer-to-peer relay network including all peer systems in the peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of the peer systems including at least one processor, the main peer-to-peer network having sub-networks within the main peer-to-peer relay network, wherein each peer system of a sub-network is also a member of the main peer-to-peer relay network;

establishing a first peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of first peer systems that are a first sub-network of the main peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of said first peer systems including at least one processor, and including a first particular peer system and a second particular peer system;

establishing a second peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of second peer systems that are a second sub-network of the main peer-to-peer network, at least one of said second peer systems including at least one processor, and including the first particular peer system and the second particular peer system;

wherein the first particular peer system has a connection to the second particular peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network and the first particular peer system does not have a connection to the second particular peer in the second peer-to-peer relay network;

receiving data at a relaying peer system in the first peer-to-peer relay network from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system;

selecting another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network corresponding to said received data; and

relaying said data to the another peer system,

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network is relayed only to peers in the first peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to a peer in the main peer-to-peer relay network before the first sub-network is established is relayed to all peers in the main peer-to-peer relay network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said relaying peer system is in two or more peer-to-peer relay networks, and said relaying peer system has respective sets of one or more connections to other peer systems for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said relaying peer system belongs.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said relaying peer system stores a respective connection limit and a respective set of one of more relay rules for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said relaying peer system belongs, a connection limit defines a number of other peer systems up to which a peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and a set of one or more relay rules defines how a peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.

15. A peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

means for establishing a main peer-to-peer relay network including all peer systems in the peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of the peer systems including at least one processor, the main peer-to-peer network having sub-networks within the main peer-to-peer relay network, wherein each peer system of a sub-network is also a member of the main peer-to-peer relay network;

means for establishing a first peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of first peer systems that are a first sub-network of the main peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of said first peer systems including at least one processor, and including a first particular peer system and a second particular peer system;

means for establishing a second peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of second peer systems that are a second sub-network of the main peer-to-peer network, at least one of said second peer systems including at least one processor, and including the first particular peer system and the second particular peer system;

wherein the first particular peer system has a connection to the second particular peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network and the first particular peer system does not have a connection to the second particular peer in the second peer-to-peer relay network;

means for receiving data at a relaying peer system in the first peer-to-peer relay network from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system;

means for selecting another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network corresponding to said received data; and

means for relaying said data to the another peer system,

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network is relayed only to peers in the first peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to a peer in the main peer-to-peer relay network before the first sub-network is established is relayed to all peers in the main peer-to-peer relay network.

16. The peer system of claim 15, wherein:

said peer system is in two or more peer-to-peer relay networks, and said peer system has respective sets of one or more connections to other peer systems for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said peer system belongs.

17. The peer system of claim 15, wherein:

said peer system stores a respective connection limit and a respective set of one of more relay rules for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said peer system belongs, a connection limit defines a number of other peer systems up to which a peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and a set of one or more relay rules defines how a peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein, said computer readable program adapted to be executed to implement a peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, the method comprising:

establishing a main peer-to-peer relay network including all peer systems in the peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of the peer systems including at least one processor, the main peer-to-peer network having sub-networks within the main peer-to-peer relay network, wherein each peer system of a sub-network is also a member of the main peer-to-peer relay network;

establishing a first peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of first peer systems that are a first sub-network of the main peer-to-peer relay network, at least one of said first peer systems including at least one processor, and including a first particular peer system and a second particular peer system;

establishing a second peer-to-peer relay network including a plurality of second peer systems that are a second sub-network of the main peer-to-peer network, at least one of said second peer systems including at least one processor, and including the first particular peer system and the second particular peer system;

wherein the first particular peer system has a connection to the second particular peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network and the first particular peer system does not have a connection to the second particular peer in the second peer-to-peer relay network;

receiving data at a relaying peer system in the first peer-to-peer relay network from a sending peer system connected to the relaying peer system;

selecting another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network corresponding to said received data; and

relaying said data to the another peer system,

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to another peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network is relayed only to peers in the first peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein a message addressed from a peer in the first peer-to-peer relay network to a peer in the main peer-to-peer relay network before the first sub-network is established is relayed to all peers in the main peer-to-peer relay network, and

wherein each peer independently maintains a list of available networks and a list of peers in each network.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein:

said peer system is in two or more peer-to-peer relay networks, and said peer system has respective sets of one or more connections to other peer systems for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said peer system belongs.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein:

said peer system stores a respective connection limit and a respective set of one of more relay rules for each peer-to-peer relay network to which said peer system belongs, a connection limit defines a number of other peer systems up to which a peer system is permitted to connect in that peer-to-peer relay network, and a set of one or more relay rules defines how a peer system is to relay data to other peer systems connected to that peer system in that peer-to-peer relay network.